Clois Moments
by Endeavor Network
Summary: A collection of brief stories about Clark and Lois. Every chapter is going to be a different situation. [Stories don't occur in chronological order]
1. Dinner

**Dinner**

Lois climbed the stairs to Clark's apartment, carrying a cardboard bag. That afternoon at work, he had invited her over for dinner, and she was looking forward to seeing if he was as much husband material as he appeared. She knocked on his door, and he opened it with a brilliant smile. He was wearing a grey apron, and a delicious smell wafted into the hallway. She stepped in, and they kissed.

"Nice apron."

"Thanks. What's that?" he said, pointing to the bag.

She pulled out a bottle of red wine.

"I know you probably already have some, and I don't know if it goes with the food."

"I do have some, and it will go the food."

"Then more can't hurt."

She walked into the kitchen and put the bottle down on the counter. There were four pots on the stove, and only one that still had a fire under it. On the other end of the kitchen stood a small table, which was already set for two.

"It smells _so_ good. I should've known you would basically be a chef, Mr. Perfect."

"I looked the recipes up online," he said as he stepped around her to stir a pot of sauce.

"Still, not everyone can execute them that well. You should see me."

"I'm sure you're better than you think," he said, turning to face her.

"Would you like to find out?"

"Yes. I'm not scared."

She laughed and came closer, till they were almost chest-to-chest.

"You should be," she whispered, and he smirked.

"Does your mom know about us?" she asked.

"Intuitively or explicitly?"

"Something tells me it's the first one?"

"Yeah, she can tell. You know how moms have that sixth sense."

"She can tell that you're…"

He grinned.

"Very attached to someone," he said, making her giggle, "And she correctly surmises that that someone is Lois Lane from The Daily Planet. Honestly, she's gonna get annoyed with me if I don't bring you home soon."

"Well, I have no problems taking a road trip to Kansas. Or a plane. Whatever."

"Does your family know about me?"

"No. I should tell them. It'll be drama, though."

He looked wary.

"Drama? Why?"

"Oh, nothing bad. Just typical family stuff, y'know. Gossip, people making a fuss, that sorta thing."

"Oh, ok. I thought maybe your dad was…really protective, or something.

"No, he's totally fine."

They smiled at each other, and Clark turned around to check the sauce again. She wrapped her arms around him.

"I can't help because you already did everything," she whined.

"You're my guest, Lois. Of course, I did."

He looked around the kitchen.

"You could pour the wine," he suggested.

"I could do that."

He chuckled as she let go and skipped across the kitchen.


	2. Bruising

**Bruising**

Lois stirred and looked up. The light in Clark's bedroom was dim. It looked like early evening. She sat up and looked down at him. He slept like a log, as always. After sex, Clark could be as relied upon to pass out as she could be to eat a house.

She looked at the clock and saw that it was 6:00. As she scooted off the bed, she noticed a dull soreness at her neck and waist. She smirked. Last night was the first time he had actually gotten a little rough with her. She'd been goading him the whole evening, clawing at his skin and biting him, and he'd finally returned the favor, gripping her and sucking down hard on her neck. She was quite pleased with herself as she stood up, stretched, and walked to the bathroom. As she glimpsed her reflection in the bathroom mirror, however, she froze.

The hickey on her neck wasn't anything to be concerned about. Her waist, however, was a different matter entirely. There were purple-grey bruises on both sides. Some were finger-shaped, and others were irregular. She hadn't even noticed the pain at the time, she'd been so pumped with adrenaline. She cursed mentally. Personally, she didn't care. She knew it was an accident. But Clark wouldn't see it that way. As soon as he saw them, he would hurl himself into a pit of self-hatred and possibly never touch her again. From the beginning, she promised him that he would never hurt her. Well, here was his proof to the contrary, and he would tout it to the ends of the Earth. For the sake of their sex life and his emotional well-being, she had to hide it from him. She went back to the bedroom and put on a shirt.

''''''''''

She avoided having sex with him for three days, long enough for the bruises to mostly fade. For a guy less attentive than Clark, she could have just said she was on her period. The first day, she conceived a story that she had to run off to do research for. The second day, she said she wasn't in the mood. They had been hanging out on her couch when he leaned over and started planting open-mouthed kisses on her neck.

It was difficult to finally mumble out, "Clark? Um, I'm kind of tired."

He immediately pulled away with an apologetic facial expression and said, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?" she giggled.

"I didn't mean to bother you."

"Key words: 'You didn't mean.'"

The third day, she stayed in the office late into the evening. The next day, the bruises were a faint yellow. Soon, it would be like they never happened. She was at his apartment after work again, sitting on his kitchen table. He had been eating a sandwich, but abandoned it halfway through in favor of making out with her. Her endurance was wavering. She figured she could prevent him from seeing what was left of the bruises. She managed to get all the way to the main event with her shirt still on. When he saw fit to remove it, she locked him in a kiss. The entire time, she didn't let him pull away more than a couple inches. Afterwards, when they were snuggling into the sheets for a well-earned nap, she congratulated herself on succeeding in her covert mission.

''''''''''''

Lois woke up in the darkness. She rolled over and saw the light from the sitting room peeking in from under the closed bedroom door. She reached out beside her. Clark wasn't there. She felt for the lamp and blinked as it turned on. She got dressed, then turned the lamp off and opened the door. Clark was sitting, shirtless, on the couch with his laptop on the coffee table in front of him. An empty plate with a fork in it sat beside the laptop. She could smell the food in the kitchen, and her mouth watered. He looked up and leaned back.

"Sorry, I already ate without you."

"That's fine. You shouldn't starve on my account."

The longer she looked at him, the more she noticed something was off. She was about to pick his brains, but he answered her question for her.

"I saw the bruises, Lois," he said in a hard voice.

Her mouth fell open.

"When?"

"When you were asleep."

"Oh."

Crap, she shouldn't have done that.

"Is that why you avoided me the last few days? Because I…did that to you?"

Pain was creeping into his face.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Lois."

He looked like he was about to cry.

" _Fuck,"_ she thought as she strode over and sat down beside him. He shrank away from her a little.

"Clark, you didn't hurt me. I know it looks that way, but honestly, it wasn't like that."

There was a flicker of anger in his eyes.

"The evidence seems pretty obvious."

She sighed.

"Clark, it wasn't any different from the hickey to me. And I was avoiding you because I knew you would react like this if you saw them."

He stared at her, his lips pressed together in a hard line. She stared back irritably.

"So, what does this mean now? You're not gonna touch me anymore?"

His face softened a little, and she knew the answer was no.

"So, you're not gonna top me, then?...Look, I'm telling you that I forgive you. I forgive you. Any negative feelings about this are all yours, not mine. What happened, happened to _me_ , and _I_ say it's fine, so _you_ don't get to feel indignant for me. Got it?"

His expression was still surly, but she could tell that she'd shut him up.

"Good. Now I'm gonna go get dinner."

She stood up and walked off towards the kitchen, leaving him staring at the spot she had just occupied.


	3. Sunlight

**Sunlight**

Clark lay diagonally on Lois's bed in a band of sunlight cast across the room. She was tucked against his right side, her head resting on his outstretched arm. She played with his chest hair while he stared at the ceiling.

"How does sunlight feel to you?" she asked suddenly.

He pursed his lips a little as he thought.

"Mm…it's kind of hard to describe it, but it's sorta like…like my skin's buzzing."

"Is it nice?"

"Yeah…I like it."

"Do you need to eat?"

He grinned and looked at her.

"I get hungry, so I figure, yes."

She smiled a little.

"Do you need to drink water?"

"Same answer as the last one."

"Which one do you think you need most?"

He didn't have an answer for that.

"I have no idea."

"You don't know much about yourself, do you?"

As soon as she said it, she propped herself up on her arm.

"I'm sorry, that sounded way worse than what I was trying to say."

He was laughing before she even finished apologizing.

"No, you're right. I don't. I wish I did. If the government hadn't confiscated the scout ship…"

She petted his chest.

"Yeah, they suck."

"Don't you have friends in the government?"

She grinned.

"You know my man comes before all those people," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He smiled indulgently and hugged her back.


	4. Another Man

**Another Man**

Clark sat at his desk, smiling up at Lois as she leaned against his cubicle wall and talked about an assignment she was working on. They were supposed to be keeping their relationship private, but everyone at the Planet already knew, so they didn't bother to pretend anymore. When it was time to return to her desk, she flashed him a warm smile and walked away. Clark turned back to his computer. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Lombard approaching and glanced over his shoulder.

"Hey, Lombard," he said cheerfully.

"Hey, Kent."

Lombard rested his arms on top of the cubicle.

"I noticed you and Lane are kind of an item."

Clark stifled a grin and didn't look up.

"Kind of."

"I should warn you, though – and I'm only telling you this because you're a sweet guy and a friend – there might be something a little bit complicating."

Clark looked up at him. He didn't put any clout into what Lombard was saying. There was nothing complicated about Lois. What you saw was what you got.

Lombard continued, "The thing is – and I'm not saying this for sure…..She might have a thing for another guy."

Clark raised his eyebrows.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry, I just thought you should know."

"How do you know this?" Clark asked in an accusatory tone.

"Because I saw them together."

His brow furrowed. This was ridiculous. Lombard must have seen her with a friend.

"What makes you think that she liked him?"

Lombard looked at him pitifully.

"They kissed."

Clark blinked and cocked his head in shock. His brows twitched as he searched for words. Finally, three came to his lips.

"Who is he?!"

Lombard opened his mouth, but Perry came sweeping by.

"Lombard, how is the stringer supposed to learn how to do the job if you won't let him work? Kent, you look like a guppy."

Clark closed his mouth, and Lombard cast him another apologetic look before walking away.

'''''''''''

Clark didn't really believe him. It was a ridiculous story, and Lombard was a bit of a gossip. In a corner of his mind, however, the thought nagged at him. Maybe it was partially true. Maybe she had run into an ex that she wasn't quite over. Sometimes, it took people a while to move on, even when they wanted to.

That evening, at Lois's apartment, she could tell something was bothering him. She asked him about it, but he shrugged and said it was nothing. Later, when they were lying in bed, and she was sleeping with one arm wrapped possessively around his waist, his confidence was restored. Lombard was wrong, surely. She had thrown her whole being into loving him, as he had with her. There couldn't possibly be room in her heart for anyone else.

The next day, when the two of them were on lunch break and walking through the first floor of the building, he spotted Lombard.

"Lois, I'm gonna catch up with you, ok?"

She looked curious, but shrugged.

"Ok."

Clark walked over to Lombard, and the latter looked up.

"Oh, hey, Kent. How's it going?"

"Good. Listen, what you said the other day-"

Lombard nodded and interrupted.

"Yeah. Honestly, I kinda wish I hadn't told you now. It's probably not even relevant anymore. You and Lane look really happy together."

Clark knew he should agree, walk away, and never ask about it again, but in the dark part of his mind, he wanted to know.

"Yeah," he lowered his voice, "But…you never told me who the guy was."

Lombard smiling knowingly.

"You're not gonna believe this."

"Is it somebody I know?"

"I should think so."

Was it somebody at the office? Clark leaned in closer, as did Lombard.

"I swear I'm not making this up…I saw her kissing Superman."

Clark stared, his mind taking a few seconds to process the information. Lombard saw Lois kissing…him.

"Oh," he said limply.

"I know you probably don't believe me, but Perry and Jenny saw it, too. It was on the day of the invasion. He saved her, and they…"

Clark was fighting a smile.

"I see. Well, um…nothing I can do about that."

"Exactly. I mean, he is Superman, y'know? But like I said, you guys seem really happy together."

Lombard patted his arm.

"Good luck, Kent."

"Thanks," Clark mumbled before hurriedly striding away and breaking into a grin.

He met Lois on the sidewalk outside, and they started walking down the block.

"What did you need Lombard for?"

"Continuing a conversation from yesterday," he said, still smiling.

She smirked at him.

"Care to share it?"

He hesitated.

"He told me that maybe you liked someone in addition to me."

She stopped dead and gaped at him.

"That _asshole!_ How dare he!"

"Don't get mad at him."

"Why not? I'm gonna kick his ass!"

He leaned down and whispered, "Because he saw you kissing Superman."

She paused, then pursed her lips irritably.

"Did you know?" he asked, "And Jenny and Perry saw, too."

"Yes, I knew. Because he damn well reminded me every day for a month. And Jenny gives me looks, too, but at least she's not up in my business or trying to scare my boyfriend."

She continued walking.

"Y'know, the funny thing is," Clark chuckled with a guilty look, "And I hope you won't get mad at me for this, Lois – Yesterday, before he told me who it was, I actually got a little scared."

She looked at him incredulously before rolling her eyes.

"I'm surprised you even listened to him. Even though it turned out to be true, sort of, you shouldn't have."

They arrived at a food truck.

"Two quesadillas, please," she said, then turned to him, "If you're gonna be a successful journalist, you're gonna need a healthy amount of distrust."

"I do. How do you think I survived this long?"

She came closer till they were touching.

"As Kal-El, you do," she whispered, "As Clark Kent, not so much."

He smirked, then focused on a point on her face.

"Ope. Eyelash," he said before pinching something beside her nose.

"Oh, Kent."

"What?" he said, flicking it away.

"Such a cliché."

"Tell that to your eyelash."

She giggled, and their order was called out.


	5. Jingles

**Jingles**

As she opened the bathroom door, Lois heard Clark whistling in the kitchen. He had spent the whole morning cleaning the apartment. He was so meticulous about everything, even dusting, that she had suggested he start a business.

"You'll get lots of work," she said, "Especially if you do it in your t-shirt."

He laughed.

She walked into the front area. Clark was standing by the island, pushing buttons on a radio. He was holding a sponge in his right hand. Behind him, the oven door was open, and the inside was coated in suds. He turned the volume up, and a Christmas song chimed out.

"Oh, _no!_ " she whined.

He looked up with an amused expression and quirked an eyebrow.

"C'mon, Lois."

She pouted.

"I'm gonna hear Christmas music _everywhere_ for the next month. Now, I'm not even safe in my own apartment."

"It's gonna be over soon, and you're gonna miss it."

"Oh, will I?"

He chuckled and turned down the radio till it was barely audible to her.

"You're not a Scrooge, are you?"

"No, it just gets tiresome sometimes with the oversaturation of holiday stuff. Why, is that a deal-breaker for you?"

"No, but I should warn you: I get pretty into the Christmas spirit."

"As long as you don't cover the apartment in tinsel or invite carolers up here."

"So, are you ok with a Christmas tree?"

She hesitated.

"There's no space, Clark."

They both looked around the apartment.

"It could fit," he said hopefully, "If we move the table this way."

He could tell from her face, though, that she didn't want to rearrange the apartment just for a tree.

"We can get a small one," he suggested and held his hand up about 5 feet from the ground.

She giggled.

"What are we gonna do with a tree that small? There's not much to decorate."

He sighed and let his hand drop to his side.

"You're right."

"Your mom will have a tree, right? That'll make up for it."

His eyes widened slightly.

"You wanna go to Mom's house for Christmas?"

"Yeah. I mean, don't you?"

"Yes! I just didn't know if you wanted to."

"I do. Never had a country Christmas before," she said, smiling.

He grinned.

"I can't wait to tell her. She'll be so happy to see you."


	6. Sleepy Clark

**Sleepy Clark**

Lois and Clark sat at their dining table, doing research for work. Clark sat on the side of the bookcase, and Lois sat on the other side, diagonal to him. Her chin was propped up on her fist, and she sipped a mug of tea. Clark blinked sleepily as he stared at his laptop screen. Slowly, his eyes drifted shut. Lois looked over her laptop at him and smirked. His head lolled down so his chin touched his chest. Suddenly, he jolted awake, blinking rapidly, and she laughed. He grinned abashedly at her.

"Tea?" she suggested.

"Yeah, that might help," he mumbled as he stood up and walked to the kitchen.

He returned with a mug and drank half of it. Several more minutes passed, and his eyelids started drooping again. He rubbed them with his right hand and downed the rest of the tea. A few minutes later, however, his chin was back on his chest. Lois bit her lip and chuckled silently before focusing on her work again.

When she was finished, she closed her laptop, grabbed her mug, and quietly got up. She took a shower, put on her pajamas, and returned to the front area to check on Clark. He was awake and typing energetically. He glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Why didn't you wake me up?"

She walked over to him.

"You're exhausted. You should come to bed."

She stood behind him and rubbed his shoulders.

"Perry's gonna kill me if-"

"He's more annoyed when you're zombieing around the office than when you're half-a-day late for a story. He likes you too much."

He heaved a sigh.

"I'll be done soon."

She quirked her lip.

"Suit yourself," she said and kissed the top of his head.

'''''''''''''''''''

Clark flew off immediately after work the next day. Late that evening, Lois went shopping and came back to find him passed out on the couch, still wearing the suit. He lay face down, with his head turned to the left, mouth open, and arm hanging over the side. She smiled as she crept into the kitchen to set the bags down. It was times like these when she wished she could take a picture.


	7. Supermaid

**Supermaid**

Clark pulled Lois's clothes out the laundry basket, folded them, and arranged them on the bed. When the basket was empty, he picked up each pile and put them away.

"Lois," he called, "Where do you put your cardigans?"

"Second drawer from the bottom," she called back from the living room.

He opened the dresser drawer and started putting them in. He caught sight of a small box in the back-right corner of the drawer. It was a vibrator case. He smirked faintly, closed the drawer, and returned to the bed. Some of her tops needed to be ironed, so he searched the closet till he found an iron and board. He went to the bathroom to fill up the iron with water, then came back and set everything up. He was ironing a dress shirt when Lois walked up and leaned against the door frame, holding a mug of tea in both hands. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"What's up, Lo?"

"Nothing…..I feel like I'm watching a porn."

He stopped and looked up with wide eyes. She grinned.

"There's a ridiculously hot guy in my apartment just casually doing my laundry."

He smirked again and slid the shirt across the board so he could iron the sleeve.

"Well, if there's anything else you need, just let me know," he said in a deeper voice with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

She pushed off the frame nonchalantly and sauntered back down the hallway. Still smiling, he looked down and started ironing again.


	8. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

Lois held Clark as he clutched her and cried softly at her knees. Her left hand rested on his shoulder, and the other cradled his head. The side of his face was pressed into her abdomen, and his hands were clenched at the hips of her jumpsuit. At first, she hadn't said anything. Now, she spoke softly, trying to comfort him. At the same time, she watched Zod's body warily, just in case he wasn't really dead.

"It's ok, Clark," she said as she ran her hand down the back of his head, "It's ok. It's over."

His fists tightened, and he let out a tremulous sob.

" _Shhh,_ " she soothed, continuing to pet him.

She felt him breathing heavily, warm air gusting past her wrist, and chest rising and falling on her thighs. She wondered how she got like this: cradling this indestructible man like he was the most delicate thing in the world. She heard aircraft approaching, and her protective instincts flared up. She wanted to hide him from the world's critical gaze. He leaned back and looked up at her. He was no longer crying, but his eyes were still wet. Even like this, he was gorgeous. The look he was giving her was grateful and…adoring. That pleased her, even though the rational part of her mind told her to be wary of their feelings. He let go and stood up. She was struck by how he loomed over her now.

"Thank you, Lois," he said in a rough voice, "The military's coming. I have to go."

"When will I see you again?"

She sounded desperate to her own ears. His smile was barely there, but it reached his eyes.

"Soon."

He squeezed her hand, floated backwards, and took off through the hole in the ceiling. She looked up until she heard the thundering boots and yells of the soldiers spilling in.

'''''''''''''''

She sat in the back of an ambulance. They had wrapped a shock blanket around her, even though she insisted that she was fine.

"Ms. Lane!"

She looked up. A soldier strode forward, holding out a phone.

"Phone call for you."

She took it and lifted it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Lois?"

"Dad?"

"Oh my God, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Dad. Are you?"

"Yeah. I've been at the base. Jesus, Lois, the footage we were getting…You were there for all of it?"

"You know me. Crazy reporter, always chasing the story."

"I know it wasn't for a story, Lois. You got taken onto the alien ship? You know who this Superman is?"

She sighed. She hoped he hadn't called just to get Clark's identity from her, especially since he sounded so concerned before. They normally only spoke on holidays and birthdays, never just socially. And even though this was an apocalyptic scenario, it had still felt good while it lasted.

"Dad, I'm not gonna give him up. I told General Swanwick already."

He grunted in frustration.

"Lois, that's not why I called. But…" he grunted again, "Alright. I'll have them transport you out of there. You shouldn't be in the city."

"I want to stay. It's my home, and there's a lot of work to be done."

"Lois-"

"I'm not gonna argue with you. Thank you, but I have to do this."

There was silence on the other end for a moment.

"Alright. Just take care of yourself."

"I will. You too."

"Yeah…Bye, honey."

"Bye."

He hung up, and she lowered the phone. What a day.


	9. Peeking

**Peeking**

Lois stepped out of the shower and onto the fluffy mat. She grabbed her towel off the rack, dried her body and hair, and hung it around her shoulders. She grabbed a comb from the cabinet, walked over to the mirror, and wiped the foggy surface with her hand (Clark hated that because it left streaks). She combed out her hair, then ran the towel through the moist strands. She ruminated on her reflection as she did.

Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she paused. She smirked and continued. When she was done, she wrapped the towel around herself and walked into the bedroom, where Clark was sitting on the bed, watching SNL sketches on his laptop. She took her pajamas out of the armoire.

"Hey, Clark," she said nonchalantly as she tossed the towel onto the bed, "Can I ask you something?"

"You know you can ask me anything, Lois."

She put on a pair of underwear.

"Do you ever watch me while I'm in the bathroom?"

"Why do you ask?" he said awkwardly.

"Just a thought. A man with your abilities living with a woman as beautiful as me…I don't imagine you'd be able to resist yourself," she said as she pulled the t-shirt over her head.

"Not all the time," he said slowly.

She snorted.

"I knew it!"

He grinned meekly.

"Sorry. I'll stop."

She pulled on her sweatpants and bounded onto her side of the bed.

"As long as you don't do it while I'm on the toilet. Unless you've got a fetish for that. And even then-"

"I don't," he said quickly.

She grinned.

"It's kind of unfair, though. You get to watch me all the time, and not the other way around."

He looked down.

"Well, if you want…" he mumbled.

She kissed his cheek.

"I'll live, Smallville."


	10. Jingles, Part 2

**Jingles, Part 2**

Clark and Lois were on their way to his mother's house for Christmas. They were driving in a rental car, and the radio was on. Clark was at the wheel, and Lois was leaning her forehead against the window with her chin propped up in her palm. The song playing currently was "It's the Holiday Season" or whatever it was officially called, sung by one of those guys from the fifties with deep vibratos.

" _It's the holiday season_

 _And Santa Claus_

 _Has got a toy_

 _For every good girl and good little boy_

 _Santa's a great big bundle 'o joy-"_

"Wheeen he's coming down the chimney, down," Clark sang along with the chorus.

Lois slowly turned her head and stared at him in horror. He noticed her looking and grinned.

"What?"

She turned back to the window wordlessly.


	11. Aftershocks

**Aftershocks**

Lois walked past the bathroom and spotted Clark in front of the sink, gazing blankly down and not moving. They had to be at work in 40 minutes, and he hadn't even done his hair yet. She saw through his reflection in the mirror that he had his toothbrush in hand, but was just standing it up on the sink.

She opened the door wider and stepped inside. That snapped him out of it as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I just zoned out for a minute."

She walked up to him anyway and touched his arm. She could tell from his eyes that he knew what she was worried about. It wasn't every day that people got brought back to life, or rather, awakened from death-like comas. It was possible that even Superman's mind wasn't invulnerable to aftershocks.

"I'm fine, Lois. Honest," he said, giving her a reassuring smile and pecking her on the cheek.

"Alright."

She took a couple steps back, but her hand lingered on him.

"Promise. If anything's wrong, to tell me?"

"I promise."

She smiled slightly and left the room. Clark took a deep breath before grabbing the toothpaste.


	12. Just Making Sure

**Just Making Sure**

Lois blinked awake in the dark. Instinctively, her arm shot out to her right and felt for Clark. The back of her hand met soft chest hair, and she let out a relieved breath. To her surprise, his hand gently grabbed her arm, then he reached out and pulled her against his warm body. Her cheek was pressed to his shoulder.

"I'm right here, Lois," he whispered into her hair.

"I know," she whispered back, "I just…wanted to make sure."

"I understand. Sometimes, I wake up, and I can't believe I got my life back."

She pressed her palm against the center of his chest, where the wound had been; now smooth like it had never happened. Like it had all been a long, terrible dream.

"Is this allowed?" she asked, "Are people allowed to cheat death like this? What if we're punished?"

"I don't believe that Lois. I think it was meant to happen this way. Look at the League. They were all lost, and they found each other. That couldn't have happened if I hadn't died. And I love you more than before, even though I didn't think it was possible. I know you don't believe in this kind of stuff, but I do."

"I believe in it more, now. Maybe you're right."

She didn't see it, but he smiled. He pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Go back to sleep. I'll be here the whole time."


	13. The Devil Walks

**The Devil Walks**

It was a lazy Saturday afternoon, and the sun was shining brightly into Clark and Lois's front room. They were lounging on the couch, doing work. Clark needed to use the bathroom, so he stood up and walked down the hall. When he entered the room, he felt something odd, like his body was suddenly heavier. It was only slight at first, but it gradually increased. He stood still, and his brow crinkled in confusion.

"Lois?" he called.

She didn't answer, so he assumed she was coming. The weight became enough to push him to the floor, and he was too weak to fight it. He sank to his hands and knees. Breathing started to become more difficult, as well.

"Lois, something's happening to me."

In his peripheral vision, a faint green glow appeared and grew brighter, as if someone was coming toward him with a tinted flashlight.

"No," he groaned.

He looked to his left and saw a pair of polished black dress shoes step into the doorway, curtained by a khaki trench coat. He didn't need to look up further to know who it was, but he did anyway. Lex Luthor smiled smugly down at him. He was bald and clad in a grey suit with a purple tie. A kryptonite rock was grasped in his right hand. He held it out to Clark, who sank helplessly, straining for air. He was almost on his belly, but he just barely managed to brace himself up with his hands.

" _Tsk, tsk._ Experiencing some asthma problems, are we?"

"What have you done with Lois?" he croaked.

"Don't worry," Lex said in a wickedly smooth voice, "Where she's going, no one will ever be able to hurt her again."

He paused for dramatic effect.

"She'll be one of God's little angels."

Clark twisted his face away from the glow and struggled to raise himself up again, or fly, or do something.

"Lois!" he cried, but she didn't respond.

He panted as he squirmed, but it was hopeless. He couldn't do anything except wriggle like a bug on its back.

"That should please you," Lex continued, "Aren't you a believer, Clark Joe?"

"Don't hurt her," he pleaded pitifully, "I'm the one you want. Let her go."

"Mm, can't do that. You see, I want to break you, Kal," Lex said as he stepped closer, his seething rage bubbling to the surface, "And if you want to break a man, you need to destroy everything he loves. Preferably, in front of him. Unfortunately, we've already dealt with Martha off-screen –"

"No!" he sobbed, "No, please!"

"It's too late. It's done. I owe you a couple deaths, since you cheated me last time. To be honest, Lois should have died that night, too. So, I'm righting the balance of the universe. Say goodbye to Lois Lane."

Clark mustered the strength to bellow her name, but still, there was no answer.

"I won't give you the luxury of looking in her face. No, you had that last time. But don't worry. I'll let you hear her voice. Ladies!"

A second passed, and then Lois screamed hoarsely, "Clark! Cla –"

She was abruptly cut short, and then there was a thud. Clark's eyes widened, and his heart stopped.

"NOOOOOO!"

''''''''''''''''

Clark shot up in bed, still screaming, his eyes blazing red. He quickly realized that it had all been a dream. That didn't help him calm down, however. His body was in full war mode, even as Lois sat up and tried to soothe him. She stroked his chest and back and spoke to him, but he wasn't listening to her. He was scanning the area, making sure no one was around who wasn't supposed to be. Then, he listened all the way to Kansas. His mother's heartbeat was strong and steady, and her breathing regular. Alright. Now, Lex. He searched, but couldn't find him, as usual.

"Clark! _Clark!_ "

He looked at her finally. He realized his eyes were still on fire and shut them immediately, chastising himself for not being more careful with her beside him. They simmered down, and he opened them again. Lois looked both worried and frustrated.

"What was the dream about?" she demanded.

He didn't answer, but threw the covers off his legs and jumped out the bed.

"I have to find Luthor," he said as he strode over to the closet, "I told you, we won't be safe until he's behind bars again."

"Clark, you can't find him. You've tried."

"Maybe he's counting on me giving up. I have to keep looking," he said as he started pulling on the suit.

She got off the bed, walked over, and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Look at me. Take a minute and breath."

They glared at each other intensely for several seconds, but he finally obeyed her. She kept her eyes on his as they breathed deeply, and he matched his to hers. When he had visibly calmed down some, she sighed and let go of him.

"This is what he wants, Clark. He wants us to panic, to lose sleep, to have nightmares about him. You know him. You know, in whatever lead bunker he's holed up in, he's getting off on the idea that we are terrified of him. And you know what? We are. I'm just as scared as you are. But I refuse to let him win. If we lose our heads, that's what we'll be doing. We're not alone in this, remember? We have friends now. Smallville is under watch, and so is our apartment. Hell, I bet Bruce even has eyes on our favorite food truck. I trust him and the rest of the League. There's people who have our backs. I'm not saying to not be scared. But just trust them. Trust that it'll be ok."

He hugged her close.

"Ok."

"Ok?"

"Yeah."

"You gonna come to bed?"

"Yeah."

He didn't move, however.

"I can't lose you," he said after a while.

She looked up at him.

"I can't lose you again, either. I don't think I could survive it. And I don't want you to know what it's like. So, let's be vigilant, but not at the cost of our sanity."


	14. Miracle

**Miracle**

When Lois woke up, Clark wasn't there. She was disappointed, but it was to be expected. She was going to have to get used to it. She sat up, pulling the covers with her and tucking them around her abdomen. It was Sunday, so she didn't have to get up for work. She grabbed her phone off the bedside table and opened her email. It was a while before Clark came back. She heard him before she saw him. He shut the balcony door and grinned at her.

"Hi!" he said.

"Where were you?"

"Japan."

"What for?"

"Earthquake," he said as he started peeling off the suit.

"Is everybody ok?"

"Yeah. A few people got hurt, but they'll be alright."

He crawled over the bed and stopped in front of her. She was still typing an email. He took hold of the phone.

"Almost done," she protested.

He slowly began pulling it away. She giggled, and her thumbs tapped furiously.

"Clark!...Almost…Send!" she said, pressing the button.

He dropped the phone on the table and kissed her, then lowered himself onto her.

"Mmm…I hate when you leave," she murmured.

"I hate leaving."

'''''''''''''''''

Not only was Clark the best sex of her life, he was also the best afterglow. It felt like they were radiating energy. He usually fell asleep, but was forcing himself to stay awake this time. To stare at her, she supposed. He also looked like he wanted to say something.

"Spit it out."

He chuckled.

"Sorry, I just –"

"Stop apologizing for everything."

He frowned and raised an eyebrow, but continued.

"I just don't think that I've ever been this happy. I never thought I'd meet someone like you. Someone who can really know me."

"I could say the same thing about you," she said, snuggling closer to him.

She paused and stared up into his blue eyes.

"Kal," she said softly, and he blinked, "You're a miracle."

He smirked incredulously.

"You are," she affirmed.

His smile faded, and she leaned up to capture his lips.


	15. New Family

**New Family**

"Maybe Clark was sent here just for you, Lois," Martha laughed, "Since God knew how picky you are."

Lois was smiling as she shook her head.

"It was for you and Jonathan."

"He was here for everybody."

A moment of silence passed between them. They were sitting on Martha's porch, drinking iced tea.

"I know this is selfish and maybe kind of cruel," Lois said, "But do you ever think that the world didn't deserve him?"

Martha took a deep breath and nodded.

"Yes, I do. I used to think it when he was still here, too. I used to get so angry at the people on the news and the protesters. The xenophobes…Yeah, I thought it. There were times I wished he had never come out. But the negative was always louder than the positive, and Clark knew that. More importantly, it's not about who deserves what. It's about choices. Clark chose to help people. He didn't make it his place to judge them. A lot of times, bad people get everything they don't deserve, and good people get nothing. Clark didn't bother about that. They'll get what's coming to them in the next life. It's for the Lord to decide. That's how I stop being angry."

Lois nodded. They both looked down and sipped their tea quietly.

"He was a good boy," Martha said, her voice breaking a little.

Lois took a second to respond.

"Yeah, he was."

Suddenly, Lois felt a wave of grief come over her. She'd been ok since she got here, but it was inevitable. The next thing she knew, she was being wracked with sobs. She held her face in her hands. Martha scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She wondered how Martha was able to hold it together and comfort her. She wanted to pour her heart out, but it felt impertinent to blubber to his mother about her own grief. But Martha was all she had, and she made her feel safe.

She gasped in three ragged breaths, then barely managed to sob out, "I loved him so much!"

Martha rubbed her shoulder.

"I wanted him…to understand…how much…he meant…"

She couldn't finish.

"He understood, sweetheart. It's just that…sometimes, it was hard for him to see himself that way."

The tears wouldn't stop, and Martha went inside the house for a minute and came back with a tissue box. Some time later, Lois's eyes dried up. She was exhausted and slumped against Martha's side. Martha's cheeks had tracks down them, as well.

'''''''''''''''''''

Lois walked out to the Smallville cemetery and to the Kent section. This was the first time she'd been there since the funeral. She placed her hand on the gravestone and looked down at the fresh grass growing over the mound. He was down there, just out of her reach.

"Hi, baby," she whispered and paused.

She didn't know what to say. He couldn't hear her, but she wanted to talk to him, to be close to him. She wished she could see him. She didn't know if he was decomposing, but she hoped he wasn't. She wished they'd had a child so she could see him in their face. But as it was, they didn't. And they never would. But she saw him in Martha; in her kind eyes and gentle compassion. She lost her mother years ago, but Martha readily accepted her as a daughter-in-law. She was the only other person who understood, and they needed each other.

She took a deep breath.

"We miss you."


	16. You're Horrible

**You're Horrible**

"It's cold," Lois muttered, voice thick with drowsiness, as she pulled the sheets closer.

Clark reached behind her and tucked the covers underneath her side. Then, he pulled the sheets off of himself and sat up. She whined loudly at the loss of her heat source.

"I have to make breakfast."

He didn't see his underwear on top of the sheets, so he got on his hands and knees and looked over the edge of the bed. They weren't there, either.

"Where's my underwear?" he said mostly to himself.

"Who says you need any?" she said, pulled her arm out, and firmly slapped his ass.

Clark was stunned, but decided to ignore it for the moment in favor of quickly locating his boxer-briefs. It turned out they were hidden under the sheets at the end. He stood up to put them on, then climbed back on the bed and fell on top of her. The air was knocked out of her lungs.

"Clark?" she half croaked, half-giggled.

"God, you're horrible."


	17. Superman Forum

**Lois sends Clark a link to one of his fan websites. [only a couple months of him being Superman]**

* * *

 **Superman Forum**

Clark was almost ready for bed when his phone pinged. He eagerly snatched it from the table and hopped into bed.

 _L: I emailed you something._

 _C: What is it?_

 _L: Look_

He opened another tab on his laptop and logged into his email. The email in question had no subject line, and the content was just a website address. . . .

 _C: Should I be scared?_

 _L: Just open it._

 _C: I don't know if I trust you._

 _L: Please 3_

Sighing, Clark clicked the link and was taken to a website with a blue and red color scheme and white text. The banner read "International Superman Fan Forum." There were various tabs: Photos/Videos, What We Know, Theories, Testimonials, and Stories. He wondered what the difference between the last two was.

 _L: Did you open it?_

 _C: Yes_

 _L: Look around?_

 _C: Not yet_

He clicked on "What We Know". There were news reports, links to Lois's interviews with Superman, as well as original articles. Under "Theories," there were articles and discussion boards postulating about his abilities and biology. He called her this time. She picked up after the first ring.

"Hey!"

"Hi. Why'd you send me this? So I can get a reading on how the public is reacting to me?"

"Actually, that's why I was looking at it. My next story is about humanity's reaction to Superman and what it says about us. I ran into this site," she said with an amused edge, "What have you looked at so far?"

"The home page, 'What We Know,' 'Theories.' Some of it's really interesting. They've clearly put a lot of thought into these theories."

"Yeah. So, you haven't seen the stories?"

"No."

"Go ahead, then."

"You're making me nervous," he said, even as he moved the cursor over and clicked on the tab, "Alright, I'm doing it."

She was quiet as his eyes moved down the page.

Not more than half-a-minute passed before he exclaimed, "Lois!"

She burst into hysterical laughter, and he scoffed indignantly.

"Lois, this is gross! This is not okay!"

"Tell them that," she giggled.

"Why are so many of them about kidnapping?" he asked in horror as he scrolled down rapidly.

"There's also a popular theme of you being a shapeshifter, since you look human. Have you heard of that tentacle thing?"

"Oh, _stop_ , Lois!" he groaned, prompting another cackle, "Please, don't _ever_ send me something like this again."

"Ok, ok. I won't."

"Promise."

"I promise."

"God, I need Bleach now."

She giggled again.

"Are you mad at me?"

"Yes."

"Totally worth it."

* * *

 **Headcanon: When the Justice League sets up their group chat, Barry delights in posting Superman fanfiction to it.**


	18. Thank You

**Lois defends Kal-El in the public arena.**

 _ **Holy crap, I realized I have not updated this collection in 5 months. How could this have happened?**_

* * *

 **Thank You**

They had been tearing into him for the better part of two weeks. After the latest "Superman incident", the way he prioritized who got rescued first was up for debate. Clark was fully aware of the fact that his mode of operation was far from perfect, and he was always looking for ways to improve. At the same time, he wished some of them would understand the kind of pressure he was under. Technically, there was no "correct" way to go about this. He had to use his best judgement. Some people saw it that way, but of course, there were many others who did not.

Over the next twelve days, he was reminded why Superman was the most controversial topic in the country, as well as the world. There was a resurgence of protests, effigy burnings, and appeals to the government to make him leave. Even in disguise, he was nervous about showing his face in public, despite the fact that it had worked like a charm thus far. The political climate was wearing on him. He imagined months more of the same, then a year, then _years_. Just thinking about it was exhausting. He didn't know how he was going to handle it.

When he grabbed the latest edition of _The Daily Planet_ one morning, he was surprised to find that the editorial was titled, "The Judgement of Superman." It was an impassioned argument about how Kal-El had to make snap decisions like any first responder, and how xenophobia was coloring the reporting of his rescue attempts. After reading the first few paragraphs, Clark knew who had written it. The pro-Superman argument presented wasn't anything new. Others had made similar points before, but Lois Lane's rhetoric gave it a fresh punch and relevance. Especially knowing her as well as he did, he could feel the emotion simmering behind every word. A warm feeling bubbled in his stomach as he skimmed through the article again.

That night, he climbed through the apartment window to find Lois working at the dining table.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi."

Her eyes remained glued to the laptop screen. He lingered by her side.

"Thank you. For writing the piece in the paper today."

"I didn't do it just because you're my boyfriend," she said matter-of-factly.

Regardless, he bent down to kiss the top of her head, and her hands faltered over the keys.

* * *

 _ **Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it's short, so, sorry. Q_Q**_


	19. In Which Clark is an Entire Mood

**Clark is me.**  
 **This is relatable content?**

 _ **I just finished the Fall semester at college. Learning what sleep is again.**_  
 _ **I wish I could put memes in here so you could visually see how weird I feel waltzing back in here after how many months. Sorry for the long wait. *sob***_

* * *

 **In Which Clark is an Entire Mood**

Lois moved to get out of the bed, but an arm around her waist quickly pulled her back down.

"Clark, let me up."

"You're gonna make it colder," he mumbled, voice muffled even further by her hair.

"Suck it up," she said before attempting to get up again.

This time, he let her. He grumbled incoherently as he pulled the comforter closer around himself.

"Do you even know what cold is?" she asked.

"It's less warm."

She laughed.

Lois went about her morning routine as usual, not bothering herself about what her husband was doing. After she got dressed, however, she came back. He was completely buried beneath the covers.

"Hey."

No response.

"Hey," she said louder, shaking what she presumed was a shoulder.

The top of his head popped out, enough for his bleary eyes to peer at her.

"Are you coming to work today?"

"No," he slurred.

"No? You trying to get suspended? It's bad enough you're late all the time."

"Don't care. I'll be unemployed."

"I'm not paying your portion of the rent."

"I'll live on the roof."

"It's cold up there."

"I'll sleep down here."

"No, you won't. Not if you're not paying."

"You can't sleep alone."

" _Oh_ , I can't, huh? We'll see about that. I'm going to work."

"M-kay."

"M-kay, it is."

Lois locked the apartment door behind her. Clark heard her go down the stairs and exit the building. He lay there for another minute before huffing and throwing the covers off.

* * *

 _ **Clark needs to see a doctor about his hair-smelling addiction.**_

 _ **I have another chapter in editing, so hopefully soon...**_


	20. Bachelor Pad

**Clark shows Lois his apartment. [Post-MoS]**

 _ **Editing struggles:**_  
 _ **Wanting to update quickly without dropping the standards**_

* * *

 **Bachelor Pad**

"Ready?" Clark said with his hand on the doorknob.

"Can't be that bad," Lois said.

"Oh, you'd be surprised."

He opened the door and let her enter first before following and flipping the light switch. It flickered on, revealing an apartment so frugal, it looked abandoned. They were standing in the living room, but there was no couch, no table or chairs, and no TV. A toaster was the only thing on the kitchen counter.

"I can't believe you've been here for months. You don't even have a TV," she said as she walked further in.

"Yeah. Money was tight for a while, then when I finally had some saved up, I spent it all on clothes. Not having a TV isn't so bad. Some channels have free streaming online."

Clark chuckled to himself.

"Y'know, when I was on the road all the time, it was kind of impossible to follow any shows. There was one time, I was at a diner, and they had Law and Order on. I stayed there till closing."

"I'm begging you, feel free to use my TV whenever you want. If I'm working, you can just mute it and turn on the captions. I have a DVR, too."

"Thanks. That's very generous."

"There's nothing here, but this is the cleanest bachelor pad I've ever seen," Lois said as she nudged the dust-free floor with her shoe.

"One of the first things I bought was a vacuum. I just don't have a lot of stuff. I've been living out of a duffel bag for years. Now that I actually have a place, I don't know what to fill it with."

"We should go to Goodwill to look for furniture. Do you at least have a bed?"

"I have an air mattress."

"Ok, we are going shopping _tomorrow_. This is unacceptable."

"It's sweet that you care so much," he said before kissing her forehead.

"If you were just my coworker, I would still care."

"Ugh. Don't even say that."

"You should've told me what you were going through. I would've been happy to lend you some money. You could pay me back whenever you can."

"I wouldn't want to be a burden. And, I'm not fancy."

She yanked his arm.

"This is not about luxury, Smallville. This is about basic comforts. You don't have beds back home? Do you sleep on a pile of hay under the stars?"

He grinned and pulled her closer.

"You know we don't."

He kissed her and continued to do so for the next minute.

"Is it weird that I can't stop kissing you?" he murmured.

"Weird, but perfectly acceptable."

"I'm kind of crazy about you."

Lois hugged him and smiled.

You're not the only one who's crazy," she whispered.

* * *

 _ **Have a good day. Eat your vegetables.**_


	21. Coffee

**Clark is so helpful, isn't he?**

* * *

 **Coffee**

Lois was reading an email and absentmindedly clicking her pen against her cheek when a hand appeared and set a coffee cup on her desk. She glanced at it.

"What the fuck is this?" she asked, pointing to the bendable straw sticking out of the lid.

"Coffee," Clark said innocently.

She glared at him.

"A straw," he amended.

He wasn't hiding the subtle smirk on his face. Her wordless glare continued, and he shrugged.

"They were out, so I got one from the break room."

"Go to another café and get me a real straw," she demanded before turning back to the computer.

He silently retreated.

About ten minutes later, she heard his approach again. Clark bent over like a footman and offered the thin black straw on his palm.

"Ma'am?"

She pulled the offending straw out of the lid, licked the end, and gave it to him before putting the correct one in.

"Do better next time," she said curtly.

"Yes, ma'am. Will that be all?"

"Yes; you're dismissed."

He nodded and backed away. Sipping her coffee, she glanced over her shoulder and giggled at him walking away with his hands clasped dutifully behind his back.

* * *

 **Another chapter is on the way soon.**


	22. Cake

**Domesticity 100**

 _ **Just realized the last chapter was coffee, and this one is cake...I was hungry?**_

* * *

 **Cake**

After a long day of chasing down leads all over the city, it was a relief for Lois to finally step into the apartment.

"Hi!" Clark called cheerfully from the dining table.

The light from his laptop reflected off his glasses. Lois thought maybe he was taking this bad eyesight act too seriously.

"Hey."

She tossed her purse onto the counter.

"Made you a cake," he said casually.

She looked up curiously and wondered how she had missed the round chocolate-frosted cake a few feet away from him on the table.

" _Oh,_ fuck! _"_

Was it their anniversary? It couldn't be…!

Clark read her nonverbal panic and grinned.

"Don't worry, there's no occasion. I just felt like it. It's red velvet, by the way."

Lois approached and stared down at it. There was a large cutting knife and two sets of plates and forks laid out, as well.

"No occasion?" she said incredulously, "You just decided to bake me a cake?"

He looked amused. "Yeah. I can't eat some until you do, so hurry up."

She cut in. The inside was moist and fragrant, and the chocolate between the layers looked rich. She set the slice on a plate and took a bite. He watched her chew.

"Is it good?"

She shook her head and looked away in disbelief.

"Ok," she said in resignation, "Take off your clothes."

* * *

 _ **I'm also hungry for comments.**_


End file.
